HERE COMES HUCKABEE, AGAIN

I was driving to have coffee with some friends when the Huckabee Report came on the radio. Huckabee was telling about ascending to the office of governor and inheriting a lopsided government more lopsided than Massachusetts. He then bragged about making the best of it and getting tax cuts passed along with positive legislation. What Mike neglected to mention is that he kept all the Democrat Cabinet Members and his very first appointment as governor was ANOTHER DEMOCRAT. In fact, after ten years in office his Democrat Cabinet members were attending campaign events for the Democrat candidate for governor. Huckabee did cut some taxes but the net effect was that he increased taxes half a billion dollars more than he cut taxes while he increased spending by 65% and the number of bureaucrats by 20%.

Huckabee became governor when the Democratic governor was indicted. He called a meeting with the few Republican legislators but refused to attend his meeting. Instead, he had his Chief of Staff make a simple announcement that Huckabee would support those who support him and would not support those who would not support him. Nobody was going to defeat Huckabee during his first election after becoming governor by default but I ran to have a voice to expose his transgressions.

The second time he ran was a different story. No serious Democrat would challenge a man who had been so good for the Democratic Party; however, a little known token female did run. If 1.5% of the voters had changed their votes, she would have defeated Mike Huckabee. At the end of his last term he destroyed all the hard drives in his office and left the Republican Party in shambles. Not one Republican was elected to a statewide Constitutional office and the Republican candidate for Governor, Asa Hutchinson was defeated by double digits. Eight years later Asa was elected by double digits. Rebuilding after the Huckabee tsunami has taken a long time.

Mike Huckabee’s political endorsements get a lot of attention. During the Texas Senate primary, Huckabee was one of David Dewhurst’s most prominent backers. “Plenty of candidates say they’re conservative, but the only proven conservative in this race is David Dewhurst,” Huckabee said in a campaign ad.

Earlier, in an ad released a mere hour and a half after the announcement that Sarah Palin was endorsing another candidate, Ted Cruz, Huckabee remarked, “David’s conservative leadership helped Texas pass more pro-life legislation than any state in America.” In an ad released after Huckabee endorsed Dewhurst, Huckabee criticized the “Washington insiders [who] have come to Texas falsely attacking David Dewhurst.” Ted Cruz, in spite of polling only 4% in the beginning, went on to soundly defeat Dewhurst.

The real firestorm came when Huckabee endorsed Lamar Alexander. This is quoted from Breitbart: “Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee angered his Facebook fans after endorsing Sen. Lamar Alexander against conservative state Representative Joe Carr last month.

Carr has been endorsed by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham for the August 7th primary. And Carr has been relentlessly hammering Alexander for voting for the Senate’s amnesty bill even after law enforcement officials warned Alexander that it would lure more illegal immigrants from Central America.

Nearly every one of close to 450 comments beneath Huckabee’s announcement on his Facebook page blasts Huckabee for supporting Alexander. One Huckabee fan said, “We supported and worked hard to get Governor Huckabee delegates when he ran in TN. His endorsement of Lamar with his liberal voting record is both an insult and disappointment.” Another supporter wrote, “With this endorsement, you lose my support and funds!” The Huckabee fan said that “Alexander has repeatedly proven himself … to be as bad a rino and sellout to the conservative cause as” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and singled out his support for “amnesty over simple enforcement of existing laws.”

Here is a sampling of the blowback from Huckabee’s own supporters in the past month, exactly as they appear on Facebook:

-Are you serious? You are not the conservative I thought you were. Lamar Alexander is the most liberal republican in the state of Tennessee.
-We supported and worked hard to get Governor Huckabee delegates when he ran in TN. His endorsement of Lamar with his liberal voting record is both an insult and disappointment.
-I guess your true colors are now showing. Supporting a liberal, which ever the way the wind blows part of the problem, Republican. Sorry can’t trust who you are supporting.
-NO NO NO NO NO NO!
-With this endorsement, you lose my support and funds! Lamar Alexander has repeatedly proven himself proven himself to be as bad a rino and sellout to the conservative cause as Mcain in Arizona! Alaxander supports the presidents anti gun agenda. He has come out in favor of amnesty over simple enforcement of existing laws. And finally his voting record on Obamacare is despicable!
-Well, Mike, I just lost some respect for you; lamar alexander is far from the type of candidate I want to support, and I hope you come to your senses too — check his record, and compare it to the ideals I’ve witnessed you promote on so many occasions.
-Joe Carr not Lamar!!!
-Voted for Carr not Lamar… Disappointed in you Huck !
-Very disappointed in you, Mike! Alexander has voted too many times with Obama . . . -Amnesty, etc. Can’t vote for him this time. Besides, he’s the one who said terms should be limited to two.
-No, no, no. He hasn’t listened to his fellow Tennesseans.
-Gov, Huckabee I don’t think you realize how much Lamaur has hurt Tennessee and he is far from conservative. There are very few times that I’ve disagreed with you on political issues, but we are definitely on a different page concerning Lamar. I am very surprised and disappointed you are supporting a man who voted with Obama on —-Healthcare, war on coal , cutting veterans benefits and higher taxes in Tennessee, just to namea few.I really hope Joe Carr replaces him and his liberal agenda.
-Huck, explain yourself here. What about Lamar makes sense and tell us what about Joe Carr doesn’t?
-Mike how come you are endorsing a man who has forgotten our platform .and voted for cloture on the veterans loosing benefits budget. Someone forgot to tell him is is the only power we have to stop in this administration and his lack of controlling illegals and amnesty puts him as a democrat.and you have lost any credibility as far as us combat vetetans in tn are concerned
-What the hell?? Have you been drinking from their river of money too?
-Huckabee is just another establishment hack. So is Lamar. Out with Lamar and vote for a real conservative, Joe Carr.
-No we will not vote for Lamar Alexander. Disappointed to see you endorse him.
Lori G Lockhart Mike Huckabee, I respect all that you are doing and have done for our country, however I am shocked you would support Lamar! As a lifetime Tennessee resident it’s time for Lamar to go! He has went against the “We the People” to many times! He has supported obuma and his policies to many times. After seeing all the negative comments on this status I hope and pray you change your decision.
-CARR NOT LAMAR!!
-You are better than that, Mike. Alexander has long out lasted his orange checkered shirt and his admirable walk across TN. Personality has gotten him more than he deserves. We need someone who will lead. Alexander spent the entire LAST election trying to discover just the right portrait blending determination and compassion … And none of his revised portraits hit the mark. We need someone who DOES … Not poses! -Have a great retirement, Lamar.
-I respect you governor but I will not vote again for Lamar. My vote will go to a real Conservative, Joe Carr.
-WHAT are you thinking????
-Mike, we in TN. know you backed the WRONG HORSE in this race!!!!!!!!!! -We Don’t need OUTSIDERS telling us how to vote. SHAME on you Mike!
-Mike, you are backing the wrong man
-I’m losing all respect for Mike Huckabee….
-Lamar has sold out bad endorsement
-I always thought Huckabee was too liberal for me.
-Yeah, the ole Huckster lost me on this one.
-Well, Mr. Huckabee, I can’t believe you support this Rino. He voted against the people and with Obama every time.
-So…Mr. Huckabee, after reading all the comments offered here, I am leaving you with one Big Question ! Why are you endorsing Lamar “rino” Alexander ? I am sure everyone would like to hear your answer…
-Sorry Huck, Lamar has gone liberal on us Tennesseans, voted for more gun control, and backed Obama’s liberal choices for offices. Vote Joe Carr!!!!!
-Mick Hartley Our founding fathers wanted “the butchers, the bakers, and the candlestick makers” to serve their country and then come back and live under the laws that they enacted . We don’t need career politicians, we need patriots.
-I dont stand with Huckabee on this.
-I used to admire your commentary and thought you stood to the right to the middle or the left…so for mr. Huckabee you have endorsed every incumbent in my district….just how much money are they lining your pockets with to endorse them?? I am afraid you are becoming a right hand rino…
-Governor, you just lost me as a fan. I cannot believe you would endorse Alexander after his voting record! You should be embarrassed! -#VoteCarrNOTLamar!
-Gotta do homework here,Lamar is supporting Reid and Obama on to much…Tennessee needs Better support…
-Have you lost your mind? He’s about as two faced as you can get….. Lamar has to go….. Joe Carr for US Senate
-Huckabee, This shows just how out of touch you are. Keep your nose out of Tennessee politics. You obviously know nothing, so shut up!
-I was a Huckabee fan until you made that endorsement. Carr not Lamar!
-Ok mike you just lost my vote
-Big time disappointed that Mike Huckabee would support Lamar. Lamar needs to go. -Time for a change to a true conservative.”

***
Well, well, even after Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck and others spent whole programs exposing Huckabee, the Huckabites still clung to him like a drowning man clings to a floating blow up doll. Even Fox News had an article on their website for about a decade titled, “Huckabee, the Biggest Big Government Conservative.”

After Mike Huckabee raised taxes in Arkansas, the poorest state in the nation, he moved to Florida where he pays no state income tax. As Glenn Beck said, the only effect Huckabee will have in the Presidential race will be to take some evangelical votes away from Ted Cruz. I say, since Huckabee’s candidate could not defeat Cruz in Texas, maybe Huck can spoil Ted’s run for President? Cruz is the closest thing we have had to Ronald Reagan since Ronald Reagan. Remember, Reagan won reelection by carrying 49 states.